The 5 Adventurers are staying in a 2 bedroom apartment in the Haarlemmerbuurt neighborhood of Amsterdam. This area is west of the central city and has a main road which leads to the Dutch city of Haarlem 17 km (10 miles) away. Our uptown New Amsterdam York neighborhood of Harlem was named for it.
We did not get much exploring of this neighborhood in today, but we managed to find a wonderful meal at The Breakfast Club just down the main street of Haarlemmerstraat.
The kids were adamant about taking up that famous Dutch pasttime of bike riding. We all love to ride bicycles and we never get to do this enough in California. This required a stop at a bike rental agency. While we were there, the kids met Bella.
Tiffany and Brian continue to be amazed at the changes in our kids’ behaviors and attitudes since our last visit here in 2021. For example, it was CreeperKitty’s idea to get a picture of this canal here because according to him, “it was too picturesque to pass up”. It’s really hard to imagine the 9-year-old version of him saying something like that. Clearly, the 12 year old version has an evolved perspective.
We intend to visit some museums while we are here on this short trip and we wanted to start off with one that we knew would appeal to the kids. A short first bike ride took us to the Nemo Science Museum. On the first floor, there is a tremendous water-driven gravity clock. See if you can tell us what time it is.
On the second floor, there is a large chain reaction exhibit that features about 50 linked actions that ultimately result in the launch of a rocket. It teaches about kinetic and potential energy. Part science, part whimsy.
The Nemo Science Museum has five floors of hands-on exhibits and demonstrations ideal for curious young minds. This is CreeperPuppy working on a chemistry experiment. (He didn’t get to keep the coat).
Suaram and CreeperKitty participated in a research project led by a scientist from the University in Utrecht which explores the relationship between musical tastes and personality types. They listen to music samples and provide feedback on them. They both gave the Taylor Swift song a top rating.
After spending several hours exploring Nemo, we grabbed a late lunch and headed to Vondelpark.
The kids were interested in seeing some of the Amsterdam attractions that they remembered enjoying. Specifically, they wanted to visit “that one super fun playground.” After they realizing that Vondelpark isn’t “the one”, we found an old favorite in Rembrandt Park. Look at this comparison. Which photo was taken in 2021?
Truth be told, these kids had fun at the two playgrounds that we visited, but it’s becoming clear to all of us that they are starting to age out of these attractons.
Our day concluded with a bit more unplanned activity. We found a yoga ball near this basketball/soccer cage outside of our apartment this evening. Dad engaged in a tiring 3-on-1 soccer match where he was soundly beaten 8-2. These children showed no mercy for their dear old dad.
5 Adventures Together 